• Interior Design AAS

    Students around a work table in a Making Center lab filled with digital gear inspect and refine 3D-printed objects including a green vessel that one student holds.
    A student presents images of an interior design scheme created for a bookstore as students and faculty members look on, one with a hand raised to ask a question.

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    Adegboyega Adefope, Program Director

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  • In 1906, Frank Alvah Parsons founded the country's first academic interior design program, which continues to set the standard for education in this evolving field. The AAS in Interior Design provides a strong foundation in spatial design, emphasizing the social, environmental, and cultural impact of interiors. Through a curriculum that integrates sustainability, material innovation, and current design discourse, you explore the ways design  shapes the experience of space and addresses global challenges involving environmental responsibility and social equity. A faculty of industry professionals guides you to develop the creative and technical skills, portfolio, and network you need to thrive professionally and make a difference in the world through design.

    Program Highlights

    • Design Interiors

      Explore the principles and practice of interior design through the investigation of spatial relationships, sustainability, material health, and analog and digital drawing and representational techniques. 

    • Hands-On Studios

      Develop your skills in design studios focused on residential, retail, workplace, and hospitality interiors, exploring the connections between spatial design, material innovation, and user experience. 

    • Industry Access

      Gain real-world experience by applying your skills in professional settings through internships at leading firms such as Victoria Hagan Interiors, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, AvroKO, and Yabu Pushelberg. 

    • Professional Perspectives

      Connect with industry leaders shaping contemporary design through AfterTaste, Parsons’ international design symposium, and WORK, the program’s annual publication showcasing student and faculty work. 

    • New York City Resources

      Access industry-leading interior design firms and showrooms including the Decoration & Design Building (D&D) and New York Design Center. Engage with the collections and archives of cultural institutions such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, and Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.  

    • Applicant Profile

      This program is best suited to mature students with some college experience and an academic or professional background outside of design. It attracts those looking to shift careers and apply their skills in a new creative direction. Whether building on previous experiences or pursuing long-standing interests, students bring diverse perspectives that enrich the learning environment. 

    • Degree Associate of Applied Science (AAS)
    • Format Full-time or part-time, on campus
    • Start term Fall, Spring
    • Credits 65
    • Duration 2 years

  • Curriculum

    In addition to core design studios, electives enable you to deepen your understanding of and experience in designing with soft and hard materials, lighting systems, and sustainable materials and practices. You explore graphic design and illustration techniques applicable to interior design and study a range of historical and theoretical topics.

    Explore the curriculum

  • Career Paths

    Graduates of the program are creative professionals who share a passion for beautiful, sustainable, and relevant interior design. They have joined major design firms around the world and some start their own independent practice right out of the gate.

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    Explore Our Community

    Discover what our students, alumni, and faculty are doing in NYC and worldwide.

    sce.parsons.edu

  • Parsons faculty represent a broad range of expertise and are acknowledged as leading practitioners and scholars in their fields.

  • Student Work

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    • Beyond the Classroom

      Our extensive resources prepare you for professional success. Coursework and career services staff give you access to a network of industry partners, and the university’s libraries, computer centers, and the cutting-edge tools of the Making Center support your creative work.
      • Internships

        Internships

        New York City’s thriving creative industry and cultural institutions are part of your Parsons education. Our Career Services Office is enmeshed in the art and design industry and can help you advance your career with industry-relevant internships.

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        Industry Engagement

        Connect to the organizations, businesses, and entrepreneurs driving global creativity and commerce. In classes, internships, and extracurricular projects, you gain marketable problem solving skills in sectors ranging from government and nonprofits to tech and creative industries.

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        Making & Academic Resources

        As a Parsons student, you enjoy access to extensive resources including New School libraries, computer labs, archives, and studios, along with Parsons’ state-of-the-art Making Center, facilities offering a broad array of tools to support your creative and academic growth.

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    • Certification and Licensure

      The AAS Interior Design program provides up to 44 credits of coursework toward the educational requirements of the Council for Interior Design Qualifications (CIDQ) Examination and those for New York State Certified Interior Designer licensure. Although licensure is not required in order to practice interior design, some graduates choose to obtain a license. If you wish to pursue licensure, refer to the CIDQ website and the requirements for your jurisdiction.

    • Related Programs

      • Interior Design (BFA)

        Full-time undergraduate major (four years, 120 credits); best suited to first-time college students. Culminates in a thesis and qualifies alumni for further graduate study.

      • Interior Design (MFA)

        Full-time graduate program (two years, 60 credits); applicants must have a bachelor’s degree; experience in interior design or a related field is preferred but not required.

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    Undergraduates

    To apply to any of our undergraduate programs (except the Bachelor's Program for Adults and Transfer Students and Parsons Associate of Applied Science programs) complete and submit the Common App online.

    Undergraduate Adult Learners

    To apply to any of our Bachelor's Program for Adults and Transfer Students and Parsons Associate of Applied Science programs, complete and submit the New School Online Application.

    Graduates

    To apply to any of our Master's, Doctoral, Professional Studies Diploma, and Graduate Certificate programs, complete and submit the New School Online Application.